SBIR Proposal Writing Basics

SBIR Proposal Writing Basics: Stay On Point

Gail & Jim Greenwood, Greenwood Consulting Group, Inc.

One of the most frustrating types of SBIR/STTR proposals to read is a “jumper.” This is the term we use for a proposal that doesn’t stay focused on one issue or problem or market opportunity. Instead, it jumps around from one idea to another.

For example, you may have an idea for a better way to reprocess spent fuel rods from nuclear power plants. You might start the proposal talking about the number of such rods that are stacking up in commercial plants around the globe. Then you jump over to talking about some unique storage problems of these rods in nukes in France because of particular Federal laws there. Perhaps you decide to talk about the unique situation of storage of such rods in research reactors, as opposed to commercial ones. Then you might talk about how better reprocessing could reduce demand for newly mined uranium, which would reduce environmental impact of such mines. Then you might point out that you think the US should take the lead in processing spent fuel rods throughout the world, thus creating jobs here.

Now all of those points may be valid reasons why your innovation is an important one and should be funded. But the reviewer is getting a headache as he/she tries to follow along as you jump from one idea to another. They also may conclude that you don’t really know why you are pursuing this innovation because of your lack of focus issue or problem.

The solution to the “jumper” problem is to decide on the issue or problem that is going to become the focal point of the proposal. You might pick the one that you feel most passionate about, or that you think will align best with the agency’s interests. Develop your proposal around that issue or problem, why it is critically important, and how you are going to solve it with your innovation and its commercialization.

You can then bring in some of those other issues or problems into a latter part of the proposal. They can be additional selling points as to why your project deserves to be funded. You might bullet point them after a statement like “There are additional reasons why we feel our project is critically important.” That puts them in the appropriate position of being secondary to the main issue or problem around which you have written the bulk of the proposal.